My baby has a problem

[stewdogg]

2004 1500FI
1,450 miles

So I spent the day Saturday taking off my stock exhaust and installing my new V&H exhaust, speakers, tail light wiring, rear fender, seats, and gas tank. I didn't get it all togethter until about 1:30am so instead of taking it for a full ride I just started it and reved the crap out of the new exhaust and everything sounded great. Today I went to take it for a ride and getting out of the driveway was fine all the way till I hit somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 throttle and it falls apart and doesn't want to run.

...my stepdad started it for his buddy on Monday to hear the new rumble and ran it out of gas. Not knowing I only had enough gas in the tank to test for leaks and starting (1/4-1/2 gal.)
That is the only odd thing I can think of at the moment.
Although the fuel pump is working because you can drive it at 1/4 throttle and under just fine.
I didn't think that just changing the exhaust would cause this? It throttled out pretty good Saturday night (without being under load I do suppose) without any issues not even backfiring/popping after decel.?.

Thanks for any ideas!

I will have to update the sig pic real soon.

[Cajunrider]

Trash in the filter maybe??? I had the same symptoms in a Toyota pickup in Rapid City, SD many years ago. The guy in the parts house told me that the ethanol in the gasoline has a way of breaking things loose and plugging the fuel filter. He was right on target with my truck.

[cactusjack]

Don't you need to rejet the carb on non-FI bikes after installing an aftermarket exhaust? Still, I don't think that is the problem here. Changing pipes shouldn't make it run like that. My opinion is that whatever the problem is, changing the pipes was coincidental.

[blowndodge]

He said his bike is a 2004 1500FI... ::)

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Blowndodge "Darksider"

He said his bike is a 2004 1500FI... ::)

I stand corrected, then. Just a case of "cranius rectimus". Even so, changing exhaust wouldn't cause an issue like that.

[dogdoc]

+1, must be something else, sucked up crap into the fuel line/f.i. system out of the tank. or many other possibilites. Run some seafoam down the tank and clean the throttle bodies.

[Yellow Jacket]

Didn't you just have your tank and other parts painted? Is is possible some junk got in the tank?

[ringadingh]

It sure sounds like dirty gas, thats where Id start looking regardless.

[stewdogg]

Thanks guys!
I have the day tomorrow to try and figure it out. I will start with the fuel filter and new gas and see how it goes. I will update after I replace fuel/filter and complete a visual inspection. I hope it's as easy as a filter and some new fuel.

[macmac]

Are you sure it never popped back just once? On the throttle body if you stand and face it there is a brass port on the right upper right side, that should be capped off... if it has a vac line cap off the port and pull all the junk that goes to that line..

It would help if I knew whether or not you still had a vac line there.

probably you did no harm, but it is very un-wise to run low fuel levels like this in a fuel cooled pump systen which this is...

It is as in-wise to be reving cold engines, and or warm engines in Neutral to a higher rpm.. That can spin main bearings...

Reving an engine at shut down which is common, but you didn't say you did, is bad as well because you are washing the clyinder with raw fuel and it runs right down past the rings wasking the oil off them which is bad, and the fuel just dilutes the oil, which is really bad..

[stewdogg]

So I had some time yesterday to tear into the ride to find the problem. I remove the fuel filter and blew it out with carb cleaner and got some brown gunk out. I also cleaned out the pickup sock and got some brown junk out as well. Then before putting everything back together I inspected everything throughly. I found in the quick disconnect fuel line that one of the two o-rings had a little mark on it with some of it possibly missing. I then removed the fuel injectors and cleaned out both of them. A small piece of the rubber o-ring was in the injector. Put it all back together and viola she runs like a champ.
I imagine that will happen on a bike that only has 1,400 miles in 5 years. Gas gets gunky when it sits too long.

Thanks for the direction everyone!

[stewdogg]

I imagine that the non replaceable fuel filter has been discussed on this site before.
So it costs $480 to replace the fuel filter because they (Kawasaki) sell it only with the fuel pump as an assembly.?. That is just crazy!
I had a talk with Kawa and they said that they have discussed it in meetings before and done nothing to change it. They said that if the filter is that clogged then it most likely blew the pump as well? If i can pull the part from the bike separately then I should be able to replace just that part.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by stewdogg

I imagine that the non replaceable fuel filter has been discussed on this site before.
So it costs $480 to replace the fuel filter because they (Kawasaki) sell it only with the fuel pump as an assembly.?. That is just crazy!
I had a talk with Kawa and they said that they have discussed it in meetings before and done nothing to change it. They said that if the filter is that clogged then it most likely blew the pump as well? If i can pull the part from the bike separately then I should be able to replace just that part.

My wife's Dodge Stratus is the same way. The only way to replace the filter is to replace the pump. Asinine.

1400 miles? What do you do, only ride on even-numbered days starting with the letter "W" or something?

[Yellow Jacket]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

1400 miles? What do you do, only ride on even-numbered days starting with the letter "W" or something?

Actually, he just bought it on May 1, I think, with 1427 miles on it. :)

[ringadingh]

If you go to Gadgets sight, Im sure there is an article there on changing a filter on FI bikes. It is just an inline filter that is in the tank. Take a look there and see if it works for you.